Good food helps to ward off winter chills

DURING cold weather, it's important to keep warm â€â€ inside and out. While most of us are planning well in advance for our Christmas fare, it's important not to embark on any radical diets after the festive season â€â€ particularly with the unseasonably cold weather lingering on. A big blow-out followed by dieting is a sure-fire way to confuse your body and make it more likely to store fat. It also leaves you vulnerable in cold conditions. One of the best ways of staving off the cold is to ensure you're getting plenty of good nutritious food. With this in mind, the HSE West's Community Nutrition Service is advising people to think carefully about stocking up on healthy food and paying particular attention to their diet. Under-nutrition, or not eating enough, is associated with numerous problems, including increased risk of developing colds and flus, depression and falls. It's important to consume adequate well-balanced meals during the cold spell to maintain body temperature and body functions. Even more importantly, it's essential to think of what food you have in the cupboard in case it is too cold to go shopping or you find yourself housebound for a couple of days. If you have a freezer, try to freeze foods in advance of a cold spell. Frozen vegetables and fruits are just as nutritious as fresh, and are handy. Make up some homemade soup and freeze in portion size containers that suit your household, use old ice cream boxes for freezing. Potatoes don't freeze very well. Make a stew with meats and root vegetables, freeze it and then boil fresh potatoes to go with defrosted stew. Buy meat joints on offer and freeze a number of portions for your family in proper freezer bags for best results. Individual portions of fish freeze well. Again, buy in season and on offer and freeze for correct storage time. Freeze cheese and use grated in sauces, on vegetables, omelettes, etc Other helpful healthy eating tips include: â€Â¢ Have three meals daily, e.g. breakfast, lunch and dinner, and healthy snacks between if required. â€Â¢ Be sure to have at least one hot meal per day. â€Â¢ Drink plenty of hot fluids throughout the day. â€Â¢ If it is convenient, keep a flask of hot drink handy instead of boiling the kettle frequently and take some of it regularly. â€Â¢ Cook soups/stews/casseroles in bulk and freeze them. â€Â¢ Cook vegetables and potatoes in same pot to save fuel. â€Â¢ Buy foods that are in season to cut down on costs. â€Â¢ Inquire if your local supermarket does home delivery. â€Â¢ Find out if there is a local Meals on Wheels service in your area. â€Â¢ Try to do some physical activity daily indoors when weather is bad â€â€ you could try some body stretches or chair exercises.